In order to protect the fuel tank of a motor vehicle from the heat of the exhaust pipe, a heat shield is typically mounted to the fuel tank and acts as a barrier between the exhaust pipe and the fuel tank.
The bottom of the motor vehicle, including the exhaust pipe, heat shield, and fuel tank, are exposed to water when the motor vehicle is driven during rain, snow, or otherwise is in wet conditions. In order to prevent deformation of the heat shield from water shock impact, which may be caused by splashed water hitting under-the-floor parts with a force great enough to deform the part and water damming, the heat shield typically included several mounting points. Additionally, in order to support the mounting points, the heat shield included portions of extra material strictly for mounting and without any shielding function. Additional ribs may also have been necessary to increase stiffness of the heat shield to prevent water shock impact deformation, which introduces complexity into the heat stamping process due to the complex shape of the heat shield. The heat shield was often larger than necessary, heavier than necessary, more expensive than necessary, and difficult to manufacture.